Of Potions and Phobias
by tt22123
Summary: Severitus story with nightmares
1. CopyRight

Any of the characters portrayed within this story do not belong to me, I am merely borrowing them from their oh-so-amazing original authors. I do not make any money from this story and it is not to be published or to be used for others purposes other than reading on this site where I have posted it. The original author has all right to this story and I do not claim to own anything other than the plot. I wish I owned the world and the characters but alas I am a book binder/restorer, not an author.


	2. Chapter 1

Severus was in his lab working on some potions for Madam Pomfrey when he heard the muffled whimpers coming from elsewhere in his chambers. Putting a status spell on his cauldron, Snape left the room and walked towards the bedroom of his adoptive son.

Arriving at the door of the Gryffindor's room he opened it and his eyes immediately locked onto Harry's small form as it twisted and turned, pushing himself away from the bed in his sleep. Severus moved over towards the 14 year old and began to quietly talk to the child, to try to coax him out of the nightmare so that he could wake the child safely.

After a minute or so of gentle coaxing Harry's eyelids fluttered open and he looked around hastily to make sure of his surroundings. Once he was definite he was safe in his room in the dungeons of Hogwarts the boy finally took notice of Snape kneeling next to his bed. Harry's nightmare was still fresh in his mind's eye so the teen jumped out of his bed only to wrap his arms tightly around the potions master.

Harry was shaking in Severus' arms but managed to stop any tears from falling. "S-sorry Sev. Did I wake you?"

"There is nothing to apologise for, as I have said many times before, I am no stranger to bad dreams. And no, you did not wake me child, I was brewing for Poppy. Want to talk about it?"

"It was Voldemort. It was like I was watching him from the sidelines and I couldn't do anything to stop him but watch. I saw him kill my parents then try to kill me as a baby. Then I relived what happened in the cemetery to Cedric last month. After that he killed Ron and Hermione and all of my friends. Then you. I watched him kill you and I couldn't stop him. It's my fault. You died, I should have saved you but I didn't, I'm sorry Sev." By the end of his recount of his dream the tears were freely flowing as Harry sobbed in Severus' arms.

"Hey, hey, hey, shush. I'm here Harry. I'm right here child. I'm safe and alive, so are you. You don't need to worry for me child. My heart is still beating for you my sweet boy. You need not apologise for no harm was done. I'm sat right here, you can feel my heartbeat if you don't believe me."

Harry slowly calmed as Severus' words filled him with comfort and love. Tightening his arms around Severus' waist Harry found himself being pulled off balance until he ended up in Snape's lap on his floor. Shifting closer to the warm body, Harry placed his ear against Severus' chest, relishing in the sound of the valves opening and closing as the man's heart pushed the blood through his body. He did this not through a lack of believing in the man's words but rather because he found the steady beat relaxing.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you when you were doing your potions."

"I put a status spell on it but even if I had not, you are far more important that any potion and anything."

"It was a dream. I wouldn't have been injured or anything." 

"No, but you would have been upset and would be tired tomorrow thus unable to focus on your work."

"Okay then. Thank you Sev."

"My pleasure child."

"You can go back to the lab if you want."

"And you can go back to sleep if you want." At these words Harry tensed slightly but forced himself to relax once more.

"N-no. I think I'm okay for sleep for a while. But I don't want to keep you from your potions." Severus knew that Harry was trying to put off sleep in case he had another nightmare.

"Well we set up a bed down there for instances such as this so how about if we both go down to the lab? Then I can work on the things for the infirmary and you can get some more sleep. I'll watch over your dreams and protect you."

To this Harry agreed and the two men soon found themselves in the dimly lit lab in Snape's private quarters. Having never had a real childhood until he started Hogwarts, and was adopted by the potions master, so he did not comment on some of the things that Sev did as most 14 year olds would. For example when Harry led on the bed and Severus came to sit next to him, playing with the covers, while bidding Harry a goodnight and placing a kiss to his forehead.

Harry soon drifted into oblivion and Severus finished the potions as silently as he could do. Just as he put away all of the extra ingredients and the now clean equipment he noticed that Harry was once again becoming restless so he took this opportunity to rouse the boy on the pretense of going back to his bedroom.

Harry never stopped having nightly bad dreams but Severus always helped him through them until the fateful night of the final battle when the only father figure Harry ever really knew lost his life. From that day on Harry would wake each night with a cry of 'Severus' but those cries were no longer answered, and Harry never slept through the night again.


End file.
